DUBAI: The largest coronavirus vaccination operation starts upon the directive of King Salman, Health Minister Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah said. The first consignment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine arrived on Wednesday and distributed over the next three days, with more than 150,000 people already registered online to be treated. “We will have coronavirus vaccination centers in all regions of Saudi Arabia,” the health minister added. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had also followed up on the launch of the vaccination process, Dr. Rabiah said. “We confirm that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe,” Dr. Rabiah added, who took the jab to show confidence in the safety of the vaccine. #WATCH: The first resident in #SaudiArabia gets the shot as the Kingdom starts its #coronavirus vaccination program. Video from @AlArabiya_KSA. For the story: https://t.co/rstrH5AGuvpic.twitter.com/Wp8HGVE1Z6 — Arab News (@arabnews) December 17, 2020 The health secretary however noted that the vaccine would not be compulsory but optional, news site Al-Arabiya reported. The Kingdom vs. COVID-19 How Saudi Arabia acted swiftly and coordinated a global response to fight the coronavirus, preventing a far worse crisis at home and around the world Enter keywords